“the Greek play for today!”

The following is inspired by the really good rehearsal work – by House of Capulet – that I caught the last little bit of whilst in on Tuesday night. This is not a comment on what I saw – in any shape or form – rather a fun way of giving valuable notes for both House Choruses as they move in to more testing rehearsals for this show. The made up text below is meant to highlight things that you should be aware of in approaching any Greek Choral work. The scene is a fictional meeting between the actor – Thespes and his LOST back up crew – The Greek Chorus!

Enter Thespes – dragging his stick – he is followed by a mixed up and individualistic group of performers (the chorus) who reluctantly enter and take up different positions – they sigh – all at differing times .

Chorus – ” Oh woe ….how hard is it…to act…as ONE!”

Thespes – “…very”

Chorus – “a tiny word – what means this strange little sound?”

Thespes turns and looks at them – his stick in hand like a staff

Thespes – “it means impossible… without work”

The Chorus wail and moan and beat their breast in true Greek acting style

Chorus – “Oh Woe and woe AND WOE again… the God of Time… is against us”

Thepses – “Time now is against us all… yet still we must try harder!!”

Chorus – “Hard! – a weary sound and one that plagues us”

Thespes – ( Aside to the audience) “oh cursed be the day I met thee”

Thespes makes to exit

Chorus – ” Stay!( They turn to him together) How shall we move then Thespes?

Thespes moves the stick in a circle to include them all

Thespes – “Move? Move with feeling !”

Chorus – Show – Demonstrate – Act it Out !

Thespes shows them how to move

Thespes – ” Watch! Go slowly and with far deeper purpose”

Chorus – “… and if the pace of things goes fast?”

Thespes – ” Change and Go with the flow – with physical precision and sheer force of will”

Chorus – ” force of will?

Thespes – ” …as if the elements have energised your very THEATRE SOUL!”

Chorus – ” AH! Then Zeus’s breathe shall be our air”

Thespes – “Great Dionysus’s fire your passion”

Chorus – “Poseidon’s watery home…”

Thespes – “…your fluid dimension”

Chorus – “…and the earth?”

Thespes – “…the earth?

Chorus – “The Earth yes!. What of the earth Thespes?”

Thespes kneels down and leans on his stick – he thinks – reaches out and picks up a handful of sand and lets it run through his fingers – then turning to them

Chorus – “You show HUBRIS indeed are we not good enough to pronounce this play?”!

The Chorus push him roughly to the ground

Thespes – ( aside to audience) “ATE works in mysterious ways”!

Chorus – “Your NEMESIS has come in a rough choral put down!”

Thespes – ” Oh Aesychulus! What can I say to change this wordy fate?”

Chorus – “Where’s your handy DEUS EX MACHINE to get you out of this vocal mess? Clever Thespes!”

Thespes considers them as they turn their backs on him – he takes his stick and help himself to his feet again – brushes off the dust from his sandy robe and runs an actory hand through his hair for dramatic effect – he walks out in front of them like a drama teacher to a drama class.

Thespes – “you are better to say the words from your gut”

Chorus – “our gut sounds like rumbles!”

Thespes – “then fill it with the food of a good script and much more passionate play!”

Chorus – ” we will open up our drama bellies and let our Greek voices ROAR!”

Thespes – “and then you will be heard …as if you were a megaphone of communal Grecian sound”

Thespes makes to go – drama stick in hand….

Chorus – “WAIT!”

Thespes – “11 stone – but I am on a diet!”

Chorus – “No ..Wait!”

Thespes – “what now?”

Chorus – “we ask the tragic questions… you must not comically reply!”

Thespes – “ask in blue tones and you shall sadly know”

Chorus – “will our masks make a difference to our STATE ?”

Thespes – “masks disguise who we fear to be most ( he lifts his stick to trace his shape) – on the outside”

Chorus – “Fear to be?”

Thespes – Fear grips us all on stage… like a yellow snake bites into its’ prey

The Chorus snake towards him in a spiralling mass

Chorus – ( whispering )explain – speak – tell!

Thespes – “who we would hide if we could blend as one”

Chorus – ” and shed our skin?”

Thespes – “to reveal another BEING ”

Thespes uses his stick to warn them off defensively as if they would attack – the Chorus squat down and take up various wild poses on the ground all with the same inward direction and feeling

Chorus – “then we will wear masks and BE ( pause ) TOGETHER!”

the Chorus rise and face outward away from him

Thespes – “all for one and one for all”

Chorus – “a band of Greek brothers”

Thespes – “unhappy beshrouded few”

Chorus – “a line …of Chorus?”

Thespes steps forward through them and slowly and purposefully draws a long line in the imagined sand in front of him – it forms a giant circular playing space